MOSES LAKE — The jar was full of colored water, hot water, with a couple of holes in the lid. It was dunked in a jar of cold water, and the fifth-graders watched what happened – the colored water drifted out through the holes, rising in the jar.

The fifth-graders were asked if they understood why it happened.

“No idea,” one said.

The principle of heat transference was one of the many energy topics discussed and demonstrated at the annual Solar Car Races and Energy Fair. The racetracks and exhibits filled the lawn outside the ATEC building on the Big Bend Community College campus Wednesday. Students from throughout Grant County will be racing solar cars and learning about renewable energy Thursday, too.

Grant County PUD employees bring a trailer full of information and exhibits on hydropower and REC Silicon employees demonstrate how solar panels are made. Puget Sound Energy demonstrates the principles of wind energy. All three are sponsors of the car races/energy fair, along with BBCC and the Moses Lake School District.

Kids learn about solar energy with solar ovens, and the PUD had a genuine construction crew on site, doing real work. They took time out to explain the process to the fifth-graders.

But the solar cars got most of the attention. The cars come in a kit, and the kits are distributed to fifth-graders at all participating schools. They are “basically solar panels that get – well, not get – but they collect solar energy from the sun,” explained Miguel Mendoza, a fifth-grader from Longview Elementary.

J.P. Gumerian, also from Longview, explained what happens to the solar energy. “Then it turns into electricity, then it goes through the wires and into the motor, and it spins the wheels.” The solar cars give a direct demonstration of the scientific principles – there were a few clouds hanging around, and cars that were on the track when clouds blocked the sun stopped dead.

As in any car race things can go wrong. Cars got hung up on the center strip that keeps them from veering off the track and went really slow. Cars lost their mojo due to broken or misplaced wires. Fortunately, there was a pit area for cars that needed major repairs.

The races are held each May and are designed to show kids how renewable energy can be harnessed and used.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.